Brian Williams | |
|---|---|
 Williams accepting an honorary degree fromSimon Fraser University in 2011 | |
| Born | (1946-07-18)July 18, 1946 (age 79)[1] |
| Occupation | Sportscaster |
| Known for | Coverage of theOlympic Games |
Brian James WilliamsOC (born July 18, 1946) is a retiredCanadiansportscaster who is best known for his coverage of theOlympic Games.
Williams' father was a physician. His father's work caused the Williams family to relocate to such places asInvermere, British Columbia;New Haven, Connecticut;Edmonton, Alberta;Hamilton, Ontario (where he graduated fromWestdale Secondary School);[3]Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan andGrand Rapids, Michigan (where he graduated fromAquinas College with aB.A. in history & political science in 1969).[2] After graduating, he spent a year as a teacher at a Grand Rapids school.
Williams began his involvement in broadcasting when he applied for a part-time job at his college's classical station WXTO which was located in the tower of the Aquinas College's Administration Building. Williams also was the first to travel with the Aquinas College "Tommies" Basketball team announcing the "Tommies" basketball games via a one-man telephone connection. Williams' college goal was to go back to Canada and become a sports journalist.
Williams was long associated with theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation's sports coverage since joining the network in 1974, after radio employment at Toronto'sCFRB andCHUM.
Williams served as the studio host for the CBC's coverage of theCFL, Formula 1 and horse racing[4] and was the play-by-play announcer for the network's coverage ofToronto Blue Jays baseball. He was the principal studio anchor for CBC'sOlympic Games coverage for the1984 Winter,1984 Summer,1988 Winter,1988 Summer,1992 Winter,1996 Summer,1998 Winter,2000 Summer,2002 Winter,2004 Summer and2006 Winter Olympics. Williams also covered the2002 FIFA World Cup for CBC.
Williams also worked withPeter Mansbridge during2000 Today, CBC's coverage of the millennium.
On June 5, 2006, Williams announced plans to move in December 2006 to rivalCTV, and its sports networkTSN. However, on June 8, 2006, the CBC fired Williams, thereby causing him to join CTV/TSN effective immediately as on-site host of TSN'sCanadian Football League coverage. (This position should not be confused with the "studio host" position that remains held byRod Smith.)[5]
Williams was chosen to head the CTV broadcasting team at the2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.[6]
On February 22, 2010, while providing coverage of the Winter Olympics, Williams did a skit withBrian Williams, the anchor ofNBC Nightly News, atCTV's Olympic set.[7][8] Some in the media dubbed this the new "Battle of the Brians," as NBC's Williams compared his own modest set to CTV's expensive Olympic studio.[9]
Williams anchored CTV's coverage of the2012 Summer Olympics inLondon. He criticized theInternational Olympic Committee for not properly honouring theIsraeli delegates who wereslain during the1972 Summer Olympics.
He continues to appear, as of 2019, as a contributor toCFL on TSN, as host of TSN's coverage of theCanadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, and as host offigure skating coverage on both networks[10] and also contributes content toTSN Radio.[11]
He was inducted into theCanadian Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
Until 2019, Williams co-hostedDon Cherry's Grapeline onSportsnet Radio, along withDon Cherry, for thirty-five years, first onCFRB radio in Toronto, and then as a syndicated show on Sportsnet.[12]
Brian Williams announced hisretirement from broadcasting on December 2, 2021, after a 50-year career.[13][14][15]
His unique voice and quirks such as frequently announcing the time, sometimes in several differenttime zones at once, has made him one of Canada's most distinctive broadcasters. He was a frequent subject of parody on Canadian comedy shows such asRoyal Canadian Air Farce.
In 2011, he was made an Officer of theOrder of Canada "for his contributions to sports broadcasting, notably that of amateur sports, and for his community involvement".[16]
In 2022, he was awarded theOrder of Sport, marking his induction intoCanada's Sports Hall of Fame.[17]
| Country | Date | Appointment | Post-nominal letters |
|---|---|---|---|
 Canada | November 3, 2011 – Present | Officer of the Order of Canada[18] | OC |
| Location | Date | School | Degree | Gave Commencement Address |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Michigan | 2006 | Aquinas College | Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL)[19] | Yes |
 British Columbia | June 16, 2011 | Simon Fraser University | Doctor of Laws (LL.D)[20][21][22] | Yes[23] |
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